October 23, 2026 · Watch the trailer
The concepts of authenticity and truth in documentary filmmaking seem almost guaranteed by the nature of the genre. Taking facts at face value because of the way in which they are presented, and accepting them as truth, is a conceit that remains prevalent, as documentarians are often seen as cinematic journalists working with integrity to provide factually accurate information and educate audiences about a subject matter.
The lines between knowing something to be the truth and wanting it to be true are often blurred in "You Can See Everything," an immersive, three-hour-long film from co-directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim that twists the documentary genre to its fullest bounds as they seek to explore the world of infamous Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, in the days and weeks leading up to her imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud against investors.
Shot in large segments in a cinéma vérité style, Oppenheim pushes the lens exceedingly close to his subjects as Fielder is welcomed into the San Diego-area home of Holmes and Evans, setting the stage for the most mystifying three hours of cinema ardent cinephiles might expect to see in theaters all year.
Fielder asserts himself as a pseudo-stand-in for the audience, interacting directly with Holmes and Evans throughout the film and approaching the project with a relatively open mind that leaves him questioning the reality of the events he is witnessing and just how honest and straightforward the duo, especially Holmes, is while being empathetically grilled about the fallout of Theranos.
It's a tricky tightrope to walk, as the documentarian gets far too close to his subjects, and oftentimes it feels as if Holmes is drawing Fielder in to craft the sympathetic comeback narrative she clearly desires. Audiences will find themselves taken in much the same way Theranos investors were defrauded out of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the disarming, deep monotone of her voice, combined with large, doe-like eyes captured through Oppenheim's ultra-close zoom lens, helps further accentuate the bizarre nature of the entire project.
While the film is clearly intended to be an examination of Holmes herself, her partner Evans continuously inserts himself into interviews, and later the filmmaking process as a whole, to muddy the waters and push the documentarians away from sensitive subject matter, especially when it comes to responsibility and public perception.
When the film continues after Holmes is incarcerated, Evans becomes the primary antagonist of "You Can See Everything," growing more calculating and manipulative in his interactions with Fielder, especially once conversations between Evans and A24 producers prior to the start of the project are revealed, and audiences begin to question everything they've seen over the preceding hour or so.
"You Can See Everything" takes a much deeper, metatextual, and intellectual turn when Fielder opts to show Holmes scenes from Hulu's "The Dropout" miniseries, with Amanda Seyfried portraying Holmes in a performance that the former Theranos CEO can't even watch all the way through.
Introducing Seyfried into the mix opens up the possibility of a concept introduced early in the film: that Holmes was portraying a character while serving as CEO of Theranos. It forces Fielder and audience members to further question just how aware Holmes is of the things happening around her and how manipulative she's truly being.
It's clear that both Holmes and Evans view this documentary as a means of public redemption and perform an open willingness to allow cameras into the most vulnerable moments of their lives to garner public sympathy. Though the film constantly twists and turns over the course of three hours, it leaves the question of who's playing whom open to interpretation. Introducing Seyfried's portrayal of Holmes into the narrative becomes a complex wrinkle that extends the film's exploration of authenticity and offers audiences an entirely new perspective.
Constantly in the mix, but just beyond the camera lens, Oppenheim inserts himself visually through David Bolen's radiant cinematography, which takes advantage of the film's 4:3 aspect ratio to box Holmes into a tight frame with an ultra-zoom lens. This claustrophobic feeling, to the point where individual pores can be seen on her face, is haunting in how visceral and raw the storytelling feels in the moment, further blurring the lines between truth and fiction in this complex narrative.
"You Can See Everything" is the year's most immersive cinematic experience, thanks in large part to the unique metatextual nature of its premise, its hauntingly beautiful and claustrophobic cinematography, and the trauma-inducing score from composer Ari Balouzian.
While a three-hour runtime might feel daunting for audiences, once Fielder and Oppenheim are able to propel the story forward, most engaged viewers will lock in and want the film to continue even longer. Unquestionably the frontrunner for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar next spring, it would be completely unsurprising to see Fielder and Oppenheim earn both Best Picture and Best Director nominations as well.
Documentary films are difficult to get audience buy-in in theaters, but "You Can See Everything" has the raw magnetism of a traditional narrative feature, enough to captivate audiences. This is a film that would benefit from multiple screenings, especially in premium formats that would allow viewers to become visually immersed in the confusion Fielder and Oppenheim feel whenever they engage with Holmes.
Like so many of the best documentaries, "You Can See Everything" leaves audiences with more questions than answers, and its failure to come to a clean conclusion about truth versus lies and reality versus fiction makes for an entirely compelling, thought-provoking cinematic experience that is unlikely to be replicated.
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